Lack of accessible support, tools, and guidance are major barriers often cited as preventing SMEs from beginning their journey to net zero. As part of the Net Zero Council’s commitment to support all UK SMEs with user-centred guidance, the new UK Business Climate Hub website creates one single, easy to find point of information that all net zero champions can signpost to their UK SME members and clients. The Net Zero Council is the Government’s collaboration with finance and business leaders spearheading the green transition.

The new UK Business Climate Hub website is the UK partner of the SME Climate Hub, the global initiative founded by the We Mean Business Coalition and the Exponential Roadmap Initiative that empowers SMEs to take climate action. The new platform was developed in partnership with the UK Government and a consortium of business groups, banks and other businesses working through the Broadway Initiative. The UK-specific content for the site was originally developed by experts on business decarbonisation and business associations brought together by the Broadway Initiative in response to a request by the Federation of Small Businesses. 

Broadway Initiative Convenor Ed Lockhart said: “UK Business Climate Hub provides a front door for advice for businesses on how to reduce carbon emissions and succeed on the journey to Net Zero. Through collaboration and partnership, we have created a widely accepted single point of information. Now we need to keep on improving the content and promote it widely so as many businesses as possible can benefit.” 

Pamela Jouven, Director of the SME Climate Hub said: “Bringing small and medium sized businesses on board to the fight against climate change is essential. However, to facilitate their action, corporations, government, and climate leaders must come together to provide the necessary support and resources for them to embark on their climate journey. By collaborating with the Broadway Initiative, the SME Climate Hub will continue to mobilize businesses in the UK to take climate action and expand the regional resources available for SMEs to build a more resilient future." 

Martin McTague, Chair, Federation of Small Businesses, said ““We are pleased to have contributed to the new Business Climate Hub that will provide businesses with trusted tools and information to help them navigate the net zero transition.

“SMEs recognise their role in net zero but many still find it challenging to access the relevant support and resources to play their part.  This new official platform for advice and support will really help.

“In addition to helping small firms become more energy and resource efficient, the hub also has the opportunity to empower small firms to take ambitious steps towards net zero, ultimately ensuring that they also benefit from the economic opportunities created in a net zero economy.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

• Traffic from Broadway Initiative’s www.zerocarbonbusiness.uk and SME Climate Hub’s UK landing page www.smeclimatehub.org/uk and www.businessclimatehub.org/uk has been redirected to the Hub’s landing page at www.businessclimatehub.uk 
• The Broadway Initiative is the coalition of UK trade associations working to 'mainstream' sustainability into the UK economy. Broadway works across the breadth of the business community to understand what is needed to achieve environmental and climate change objectives, then collaborates with UK governments on the frameworks required and develops plans and partnerships in the private sector to implement change.
• For further enquiries, please contact liam@broadwayinitiative.org.uk or schebil@wmbcoalition.org. 
• The SME Climate Hub is an initiative of the We Mean Business Coalition, the Exponential Roadmap Initiative, and the United Nations Race to Zero campaign. In collaboration with Normative and the Net Zero team at Oxford University, the SME Climate Hub provides tools and resources to enable SMEs to make a climate commitment, take action and measure their progress towards emissions reductions. This partnership allows SMEs to join the United Nations Race to Zero campaign — an international campaign that brings together an unprecedented coalition of real economy actors and 120 governments committed to achieve net-zero emissions by no later than 2050.